Why the fascination with subwoofers?

...and then, there are the few of us that do not have the financial means to afford such all-inclusive systems and add sub-woofers in an attempt to add depth & resonance (due to inferior equipment) for more listening enjoyment. We make due the best that we can.

but why add a subwoofer to an existing audio system when they don’t always perform well, are costly, and are difficult to integrate with the many varied speakers offered.

This is a question I often have to ask before answering a poster's question about full range vs. sat/subwoofer systems, or adding a subwoofer to an existing system.


Fortunately, room correction matters and is getting better and more automated, so simple it's almost ready for cavemen.


On the other hand, honestly, half of all "audiophiles" have no ear at all and for them more is just better.

Additionally, why wouldn’t any audiophile first choose a speaker with a well designed bass driver designed, engineered and BUILT INTO that same cabinet? If anyone’s speakers were not giving enough tight bass, why wouldn’t that person sell those speakers and buy a pair that does have tight bass? 

A sub, well integrated, has a number of advantages. Can go deeper, can be optimally placed, and can be EQ corrected.


Going back to your first point, you are better off with a bass limited (45Hz or higher) speaker which is not going to wake the dragons, than a big speaker that can go low which you don't know what to do with.


Best,
E

I had been low-passing at 40 Hz using a pair of Velodyne HGS-10s with acoustic room correction by an SMS-1 to supplement a pair of KEF Ref 1s.  With some trepidation I recently introduced a fully balanced passive Marchand 80 Hz 24 dB/octave filter between the Ayre KX-5/20 and VX-5/20, reset the subs to 80 Hz 24 dB/octave, and reran acoustic room correction.  First consideration was that the filter do no harm to the Ayre sound, and it doesn't -- an active Bryston 10B had.  At first I doubted the filter had any perceivable effect, but with further listening to a wide variety of music I perceive more detail since the introduction of the filter.

If you have good speakers, you don’t want a sub-woofer. In my opinion, it “rapes”your music. 
I completely agressie with Millercarbon and Roxy54.
And , Kenjit: Human hearing is 20 hz-20 kHz for a your child. Till 18 kHz for a young adult. An older person: till 16 kHz.
subwoofers are not my cup of thee.